Essential Life Skills
for Personal
Development

What
is personal development?

Personal
development
is the pursuit of developing, honing and mastering the skills that help
us become the best that we can, with all that we have. It is
the reaching for and realizing of our full potential as human beings.

We
all want to live full, productive lives, but sometimes, we just don't
know where to begin. There is so much information 'out there' that it
can be overwhelming and hard to sort out. Depending on the problem,
what seems to work for one person, may not necessarily work for
everyone. There are so many different programs, strategies
and techniques, that it's hard to chose the right one.

One
thing, however, is certain. If we want to accomplish anything
in life and realize our full potential, we must have some
skills - in this case life
skills.

In order to excel at a job, a sport, or any
discipline,
a person must acquire and master certain skills. Living life fully and
productively is no different.

Furthermore, possessing life skills enables you to
deal
with the life's inevitable difficulties and adversities more
effectively. It lessens your chances of overusing
prescription
drugs, engaging in addictive behaviors and experiencing overall despair
and hopelessness. When you have the proper tools and strategies at your
disposal, you have more control
over your life and are
therefore happier
and more productive.

Where do you begin?

You begin by establishing a firm foundation. That
foundation is "you". You must know who you are, what you want, and what
you are capable of. You must then determine which values, goals and
principles you will set up to guide your actions.

Learning about and applying the 9
Essential Life Skills will help you:

know and understand yourself better

live life more consciously and deliberately

attain personal satisfaction and fulfillment.

Often,
the hardest part in any endeavor is getting started, however once you
do, there is a surprising snowball effect. You will begin to feel good
about what you're doing and you'll want to continue. You will
strive to keep improving and you will aspire to become the best you
that you can.

As you continue on the journey of personal development, you
will become
aware that there is so much more knowledge and information to be
discovered and uncovered than you ever thought possible - knowledge
about yourself, knowledge about others, knowledge about life and the
world around you.

To
assist you in your pursuit of
knowledge and in expanding your horizons, I encourage you to read and
explore the pages on the
arts,philosophy,
and sports.
We often tend to overlook how much they contribute to personal
development and to the balancing of the personality.

The good news is, that acquiring Essential Life Skills
will not only contribute to your
personal growth and development, it will make you a more
interesting and dynamic individual.

Why are these skills essential?

Because without having developed them, you will always feel
that something is
missing in your life. What good is all the financial success in the
world if you don't have self-confidence,
know who you really are, what you want, or what you are doing
here? We've all witnessed many outwardly successful and famous people
who have not been able to find personal happiness. No amount of fame or
fortune could fill the void they felt inside.

Therefore, in order to enjoy the fruits of any
achievement we must first be happy with ourselves and possess the
following: